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How to copy files \ directories \ filesystems via network.

The article describes ways of copying content over network. When upgrading a home server, I copy all the data from the old server to a new system. In the examples below, I work from the new server and both servers are on the same subnet:

New server (IP: 192.168.0.14)

Old server (IP: 192.168.0.1)

Both the ssh and scp commands communicate over a secure connection (TCP port 22). Please note that you need to enable the sshd daemon on the remote host.

Files \ single folder copying

If you need a copy of standalone files or folders, you can use an scp util:

scp -r -v -p root@192.168.0.1:/etc /From_Old_Server

There:

-r key do recursive , copy all data in “/etc” folder and all its subfolders.

-p key preserve file attributes, like a creation, modification times.

-v gives us verbose output.

In there example we copy “/etc” folder from 192.168.0.1 computer ( actually, “Old” server), to folder “/From_Old_Server” in local computer ( “new” server).

Sadly, but that command ( scp ) cannot copy whole system disk, contains “/proc”, “/dev” and even “/lost+found” catalog, who is it in every mounted extX filesystem partition - at that places “scp” stuck and stops.